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About Madison Emergency Services Association (MESA)

Madison Emergency Services Association (MESA) has proudly served those in-need within our local Madison County, VA community since 1982. We are committed to operating as a resource for our neighbors, providing Madison with a full Food Pantry, critical Emergency Services, and access to additional resources.

Our board is composed of dedicated and passionate individuals who are committed to the mission and vision of our organization. They bring a diverse range of skills, experiences, and perspectives, and they play a crucial role in guiding our strategic direction, ensuring our financial health, and maintaining the integrity of our operations. Our Board Members volunteer their time and expertise to ensure that we are effectively serving our community and adhering to our core values. They are leaders in their respective fields and share a common commitment to our cause.

Our 2023 Board:

Patricia Livingston

President

Patricia "Trish" was born in North Carolina, but has been a full-time resident of Madison for the past three years. She started on the Board in February 2022 and became our interim President in June 2022. She was later elected President of MESA in November 2022.

Trish previously volunteered at The Lamb Center in Arlington, VA for two years and volunteered with D.C. Metro Church, serving the homeless bagged lunches for two years.

She most enjoys making a difference in the lives of the people in Madison County.

"We made a decision to start offering weeknight and Saturday hours to help people that are currently working but still needed assistance. We added those hours in November," she shares.

"I feel like there are still people in the county that need the pantry and we are trying to reach out to those people. We will be attending fairs and community events in the near future to let the community know that we are here to assist them through the pantry or client services."

Trish explains that MESA had gotten away from our roots as a community-run organization. It has been her pleasure to be part of getting MESA back to our roots by reaching out to the community and local churches to help us be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Jim Duszynski

Vice President

Jim Duszynski was born in Washington D.C. and has lived in the D.C. Metro area, both in Maryland and Virginia, for much of his life. "We bought our property here in Madison in 2016 and moved to Madison in early 2020. This is home," he shares.

He is the Vice President of the Board of Directors and has been on the Board since September 2022. Jim previously served two terms as a Board Director for Youth for Tomorrow, a non-profit serving children who can’t live at home or who don’t have a home - these are children in need of a stable environment to learn life skills and receive an education. He resigned from the YFT Board to serve on ours.

When asked about what he most enjoys as a Board Member, he explains "My wife and I got involved with MESA so we could contribute to the community and to serve those individuals in the community who need it the most. I enjoy volunteering at the Food Pantry where I can

meet the folks we serve. I also have responsibilities for maintaining the building and improvements. I

enjoy being a good steward of MESA’s assets."

Jim is most excited to continue expanding the reach of MESA so that everyone who needs food or emergency funds, for rent and utilities, knows about MESA and has access to our services.

Erin Nicholls

Treasurer

Erin joined the MESA Board back in 2019 and has served as Treasurer since 2021. A 20+ year veteran in real estate and CPM (Certified Property Manager), Erin currently oversees a mutlifamily investment portfolio in the Southeast.

In addition to volunteering at MESA, Erin has led a local Girl Scout troop for the last five years. With the growing numbers of new clients coming to our Food Pantry, Erin is the most excited to continue growing the network of support in Madison by spreading our mission throughout the county.

Celene Pumphrey

Secretary

Celene has lived in Madison for over 20 years. After traveling around the world in her youth, she now enjoys living her life within a one-mile radius! Celene has had the privilege of serving MESA for 12 years.

Since her first day driving to Trader Joe's to load up all of the donated food for people in need in Madison County, she has fostered a love for serving others through MESA's Food Program.

Celene is active in her Church - Mount Carmel of Haywood. She also serves on the Madison Strong Community Coalition and loves to volunteer at community events like Madison Day.

Celene has the opportunity, through MESA and her work at Social Services, to see what makes this community special - we come together in times of need.

Cathy Jones

Director

Cathy is one of the Directors on our Board. She grew up in Augusta County, Virginia and moved to Madison in 2006.

"Although I'm a transplant to Madison, I am deeply involved in this community. My family has a small business here which has operated for over 50 years. I knew I wanted to be a school teacher from a very young age and so I followed that dream; fast forward to the 2023-2024 school year, which will be my 30th year in education," she shares.

Cathy has served in the roles of teacher, assistant principal, principal, and now proudly serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Madison County Public Schools. She has a passion for public education, which allows everyone the opportunity to learn and meet their full potential.

"As my children have all grown, this left me with time to do something I've always wanted to try - Volunteering at a food pantry! I have found helping out at MESA to be both rewarding and fun," Cathy explains.

She joined the Board of Directors in January of this year and is looking forward to the future of MESA. She most enjoys the fact that our Board has a deep desire to connect with the community to meet the needs of our neighbors.

Robin Sweely

Director

Robin has served as a Volunteer, Director, and Board Member at MESA over the past eleven months.

She is also the President and Executive Director of a non-profit called Humane Equine Aid and Rapid Transport (HEART), which provides service at horse shows, polo, events up and down the east coast - as far west as Omaha and south as Texas.

Robin most enjoys advancing MESA's mission of trying to help as many in need Madison, VA residents as possible.

"I look forward to changing the perception of MESA to the residents of Madison. I don't think a lot of Madisonians understand what MESA does for the community or even know we are here. I'd like to get the message out that we are here to help anyone who need our help-no questions asked," she shares.

Robin is most excited about MESA's revamp of our business practices that will help to better serve the Madison community, as she will play an integral role in facilitating these changes.